Brandon Triche was just 9 years old when the Syracuse University basketball team began the 1999-2000 season with 19 consecutive wins.

But as he stood in the Syracuse locker room after the current Orange ran its record to a sparkling 19-0 with a 78-55 victory over the Providence Friars on Saturday, Triche still rattled off the names from the 1999-2000 squad.

Triche, the native of Jamesville whose uncle Howard played at Syracuse and was part of a host of former players who were recognized at halftime of Saturday’s game, might have been the only current player who could have named more than two players off that 2000 team. But the enormity of the tying a record for a program that dates its origins back to 1900 resonated throughout the SU locker room.

“It’s a great accomplishment,’’ SU sophomore Dion Waiters said, “but we don’t want to stop here. We want to get more wins and stretch it as far as we can and just keep getting better.’’

The No. 1-ranked Orange, which improved to 6-0 in the Big East Conference, will go for the record-setting 20th consecutive victory on Monday when it hosts Pittsburgh at the Carrier Dome.

“We’re just trying to win the next game,’’ Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. “That’s all we’ve thought about. That’s what we’re going to keep doing. That’s the only way to approach basketball games. If you don’t get ready, you’re going to get beat. We’ve just got to get ready every night.’’

Syracuse looked a little less than ready at the start of Saturday’s game.

In the game’s first 14, the Orange struggled offensively and appeared sluggish on defense. Syracuse made just seven of its first 25 field goal attempts and missed its first nine shots from 3-point range.

At that point, Syracuse, as has become its wont, broke open a tight game with a devastating run. The Orange scored 15 straight points to turn a slim 17-16 lead into a 32-16 runaway. The rally lasted just four minutes.

Syracuse sparked the run with its fullcourt press; a ploy that took advantage of the absence of Providence point guard Vincent Council, who sat out Saturday’s game for unspecified reasons. Council had scored 17 points in Providence’s 87-73 loss to Syracuse in Providence on Jan. 4.

“It speeded them up a little bit,’’ Boeheim said. “We got a couple turnovers out of it. It did speed them up a little bit. I think it got us going a little bit.’’

Syracuse eventually extended its lead to 38-21 at halftime as Scoop Jardine drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the second straight game.

Syracuse held Providence to 31 percent field goal shooting in the first half. The Orange also forced the Friars into 16 first-half turnovers. The Friars finished the game with a season-high 22 turnovers.

“It started off by getting a steal,’’ Waiters said, “and everything else was history then.’’

Syracuse’s offense showed off the balance that has become synonymous with the depth of this Orange team. Kris Joseph led Syracuse with 13 points. Waiters scored 12, while Jardine nearly had a double-double with 10 points and nine assists. Mookie Jones, a seldom-used junior, scored 10 points in just eight minutes.

Providence fell to 12-7 overall and 1-5 in the Big East. Kadeem Batts led the Friars with 13 points. LaDontae Henton, a freshman forward, had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Syracuse’s starters came out of the game with 14:23 remaining and the Orange leading 53-25. It looked like a line change in hockey as Boeheim sent Michael Carter-Williams, Dion Waiters, C.J. Fair, James Southerland and Baye Keita into the game at the same time.

A few starters returned to the floor later in the game, but only for a few minutes.

The Orange had already turned this one into a rout. Only four teams – Stanford, Florida, Marshall and Marquette – have stayed within 10 points of Syracuse this season.

“The way we’re playing means more than our record,’’ Triche said. “We’re playing great. We didn’t play great tonight, but we played good enough. To be 19-0, it can’t be any better.’’